SAN DIEGO, United States — A NASA spacecraft carrying four astronauts splashed down Friday off the California coast, completing the agency’s first crewed lunar flyby mission in more than 50 years and concluding a test flight of the Artemis II program.
Mission commander Reid Wiseman reported that he and crewmates Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen were in stable condition following re-entry, according to NASA officials during a livestream of the return.
Recovery teams from NASA and the U.S. military moved to secure the capsule in the Pacific Ocean and prepare the astronauts for transport to a recovery ship near San Diego.
The spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at speeds exceeding 30 times the speed of sound and encountered extreme heat, testing the Orion capsule’s heat shield. NASA officials said the re-entry and splashdown proceeded as planned.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the mission achieved its objectives and marked a step toward future lunar operations under the Artemis program.
The mission lasted nine days, one hour, 31 minutes and 35 seconds after launching from Florida on April 1. It marked the first time astronauts traveled aboard the Orion capsule and the first crewed lunar flyby mission since the Apollo era.
During the mission, the astronauts traveled approximately 252,756 miles from Earth, setting a record for the farthest distance reached by humans. They conducted observations, captured images of the Moon and deep space, and documented events including a solar eclipse and meteorite impacts on the lunar surface.
The Artemis II mission also marked several milestones. Glover became the first person of color to fly around the Moon, Koch became the first woman, and Hansen became the first non-American to take part in a lunar flyby mission.
NASA designed the mission to test the Orion capsule’s performance, including its heat shield, after engineers identified erosion issues during the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022. The agency adjusted the spacecraft’s re-entry trajectory to reduce risk.
Engineers will examine the capsule following recovery to evaluate its performance during re-entry.
The astronauts are scheduled to return to Houston, where they are expected to reunite with their families.
